"In Review"

"It's over...let it go." Second line from "That was the Week That Was"

Best of times, worst of times. Great things happened this week, and I dropped into the pits of despair. But not in that order and that's called hope. After dreading the coming of the week and a couple of days running on empty, enough ice broke in my life that I was able to move forward and Thursday was a fine, fine day. Friday, who knows? But I'm looking forward to it and the weekend, and that is half the battle. Thanks to everyone who wrote and called and shared your lives this week--you all pulled me out of The Pit. I'll take it the rest of the way now.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

So gas is up to $3 a gallon in Cullyfornyah (the state that actually had a pilot program for an electric car) and it's $2.55 at the First Mainland Stop, and up $2.70 (okay, $2.69.9, but who's counting?). The price of oil? EOD Thursday it was $61.64 for a barrel of sweet crude. It's only been a month and a half since prices plunged to $50 a barrel (with naively gleeful predictions of falling gasoline prices that never really materialized). Though the barrel-cost is nowhere near the level it was when we were getting $3.00 per gallon gas prices the price is inching up. Why? Heating oil costs are mentioned, as the East Coast endures a staggering winter--my sister-in-law in Michigan says it got to 9° yesterday, yet their vicinity to Detroit keeps their gas prices in the low levels around $2.00. On the West Coast--where temperatures are moderate, but the oil-refinery plants are in perpetual-false-crisis mode the price of a gallon of gas rocketed 20¢ in a day, the hardest hit states being California and Hawaii (where the price of everything is high). The oil companies perpetuate the myth of "market forces" driving the prices, but that's a lie that even an idiot like me can see through. In their little chess-game we're all pawns being rooked.

But eventually, their lies will become truth. "Market forces" will come into play, as they have before. As their gasoline prices rise to the $3.00 mark, it will only encourage the spread of bio-diesel, dropping its price to competitive levels, and the oil companies will be forced to operate in an environment where they're not the only game in town. That's the trouble with being a monopoly. Like oil, it just can't last.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Non-compos-mentis: This week I was sitting in Les Schwab (Patron Saint of Good Corporate Practices and Free Beef--I got there at 7:30am, only to find that they open at 8:00...but they let me in anyway, with a smile), awaiting the diagnosis for the grinding sound emanating from my tires (bad brakes--getting 'em fixed Friday at 2) when a new-story announcing that two "lucky dogs" won the "Mega-Millions" Lottery pot of $350 brazillian dollars, and one of the youngsters sitting in the waiting room looked over at his pal in baggy-pants and gold chain and said, "Dude! WE shoulda bought some tickets!"

Lost business opportunity: Should have told them to give me the money. Same outcome, dude!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Other reasons to feel old, and not:

I had lunch with my God-daughters' father on Monday and we commiserated about life at 40 (I didn't have the heart to mention 50), and work and job-prospects and the mutually acquainted and how life has that funny habit of rolling over in its sleep and pinning you down...but I got to see pictures. MSC, the GD, is a tall, winnowy 13-year old knock-out that seemed ages away from that warm, buzzing, sleeping thing I held in my arms the day she was born. What miracles they are! But then, the same can be said for each and every one of us...despite "market forces."

Shock #2: I make the dreaded call to see what's up with a project I was lined up for, and instead of the expected machine, I get...the daughter. Little Ellie. The baby who crawled around control-room floors and who'd bump her head against my hand (because I'd placed it between her head and the too-close glass table-top) and look up at me with knowing eyes and an amused smile, is eleven and talking to me (And probably not taking my message, and undoubtedly creeped out that this old guy is talking about her as a baby). I've held her in her babihood, too. To them it's a lifetime. To me, it just happened--a vivid memory, a miracle.

A picture of my father just whooshed by on the slide show on my computer desk-top. He had a phrase, delivered with a half-smile and a low voice, and after far-too-many of these little miracles had become an everyday occurence: "Sure piles up." ("John!" my mom would admonish)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meeting Martin (been too long) after Schwabbing this afternoon. He's got some "Battlestar Galactica" tapes for me, which I'll probably pass on to Walaka and Otis if they have a desire. The day is getting busy now.

Sure piles up.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

K is taking another trip! Now that her work-duties are over-over, she's relaxing and taking a trip...with a difference. Everyone who knows K knows she's a globe-trotter. Together, we've gone to Edinburgh, Spain and Vienna. But in her day she's been to all places European, Japan, South America, India. All exotic trips. So, she announces where she's going....Las Vegas.

The Last Place on Earth I'd expect her to go.

But (as she explained it) her desire is to go someplace "easy," where it's not a culture-war to get an aspririn, where she can relax (Vegas is a place for men to gamble, but now it's a place that supplies cheap entertainment...and spas...to keep the rest of the family occupied, as well. Damned smart, then grifters), go to the spas, see a couple of shows, have $3.99 prime rib meals (well, it was when I was there 15 years ago) and relax.

Can Disneyland be far behind?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Marvel Comics ("The House of Ideas") announced that Captain America will pull a FerroLad/Superman/Hal Jordan/RobinII/JeanGrey/SueDibney and die in the next issue. My reaction? SFW? And "who gets the shield?" I'm not buying it. Not even if Steranko draws it.

It kinda shows just how desperate Marvel has become that they think they can keep recycling and expect anybody...besides the mainstream media, that is...to get excited about it. But then, Marvel has always been about promotion, rather than content...the very image of then own Galactus. Sigh. It is only funny-books, after all.

It was fun to hear Marvel-head Joe Quesada trip over the word "inevitability" in an interview, though. Geez, Joe. Don't strain yourself. Keep the syllable-count down.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Must be off. Things to do. People to meet. One review to write. Take care, and have a great weekend.

Song in me head: "Straighten up (and Fly Right)"